RUFFIN, Thomas, jurist, born in King and Queen county, Virginia, 17 November, 1787; died in Hillsboro', North Carolina, 15 January, 1870. After graduation at Princeton in 1805 he studied law, and removed to Hillsboro', North Carolina, in 1807. He served in the legislature in 1813-'16, becoming speaker in the latter year, was judge of the supreme court in 1816-'18, and elected again from 1825, and was chief justice of the state supreme court from 1829 till 1852, and again in 1856-'8. after which he served as presiding judge of the county court. He was opposed to nullification in 1832 and to secession in 1860, but voted for the ordinance of secession in the convention. He was a delegate to the Peace congress that met in Washington in 1861. The University of North Carolina gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1834.